1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to golf clubs, and more particularly to a club head with tee setting and ball retrieval features provided thereon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Golf is a very popular sport and past-time which provides exercise and entertainment for millions of participants. As is well known, in golf a player will start at the beginning of the course, commonly referred to as the “first hole”, and will place a tee into the ground. On top of this tee a ball is placed, and then the golfer will strike the ball, to drive it as close as possible to a hole or ball cup. The hole is completed when the golfer strikes the ball into the hole, whether this is the first or some subsequent stroke.
A full round of golf will usually consist of either nine or eighteen holes of golf, depending upon the course. With a nine-hole course, the golfer will have to set the tee a minimum of nine times, and will have to retrieve the ball from the hole nine times as well. For a normal, healthy person, these eighteen times of bending down and reaching to ground or cup level is not considered to be burdensome, and is instead frequently considered to be a beneficial part of the total exercise provided by the sport.
Unfortunately, not all golfers are typical, and many have one or other physical challenges that may make golfing using traditional equipment difficult or impossible. One example is a back condition, wherein the golfer is not readily able to bend down sufficiently to reach ground level. A weak, injured or previously injured back may not be able to perform the necessary motions. Other persons with physical challenges or disabilities may likewise be unable to complete the necessary reaching to ground level. Similarly, as persons become older or where past injuries may exist, the requisite bending may be undesirable and uncomfortable.
A number of patents have attempted to reduce the amount or quantity of bending required during golfing, which will in turn both permit a golfer to continue golfing to a later age in one's life, and will also generally make the sport more enjoyable for many people. Exemplary patents, the contents of each which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,430 to Kepler, which illustrates a putter having ball pickup and a ball marker setter and pickup feature; and U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,231 to Johnson, disclosing a club head to pick up a ball or a hole-flag. Unfortunately, in the case of both Johnson and Kepler, only ball pick-up has been addressed, even though Johnson explicitly was aware of the need to stoop at the tee. Czichos, in U.S. Pat. No. 1,634,652, the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, illustrates a tee setting device which is incorporated into the shaft of a club. Several alternative approaches for securing the tee therein are illustrated. Unfortunately, this shaft approach requires that the club be flipped upside down, and the handle exposed to the earth. Cleansing and handling thereof can be somewhat messy and undesirable. Other additional relevant patents, the contents which are incorporated herein by reference, include U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,784 to Brill; U.S. Pat. No. 2,213,190 to Haverbach; U.S. Pat. No. 4,934,702 to Serizawa; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,379,259 to Opie. Nevertheless, none of these patents illustrate a golf club which enables a golfer to complete a round of golf without bending down to the ground.